Valve



June 11, 1940. r T. G. HARE 2,203,684

VALVE Filed March 1, 1959 Fig 1 7 a ia-A0, l I flip 25 20 a 22 A, nus A INVENTOR. Terencev G. flare ATTORNEY5 Patented June 11, 1940' UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcr.

. VALVE Terence G. Hare,-Wlndsor, Ontario, Canada Application March 1, 1939, Serial No. 259,193 Claims. (Cl. 251-46) This invention relates to improvements in valve structures, and it has to do particularly with an improved arrangement for mounting a sealing member on a rotatable member with an anti- 5 friction hearing so that when the sealing member is moved into contact with a seat, it may be forced against the seat without relative movemerit-between thesealing member and seat.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved structure of this nature which requires very little space so that valves now in use, or valves of the present day structure, can have the antifriction bearing .mounted therein without structural change in any of the valve parts. As aresult the valve is leftin a condition so that it may be equipped with the conventional sealing washer in the event the antifriction arrangement is removed for any reason. Then, too, valves in buildings can be equipped with the antifriction bearing without any change in the valve structures so that. machining operations are eliminated.

,Another object is to provide an antifrictlon arrangement which can be produced at low cost 2;- and supplied to the trade 'at low prices. Structures for carrying out the invention are shown in l the accompanying drawing. i

Fig. 1 is a View largely in cross section showing a valve equipped with an antifriction bearing of a the present invention.

Fig. 2 is anenlarged cross sectional view taken through the stem and antifriction bearing structure. l

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified arrangement.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view similar to Fig. 2.

The faucet or valve is controlled by a movable valve stem 1 which has a screw-threaded por--' tion; 6 engaging internal threads 5 of the body and a stem 8 which may be turned by a handle 9. Y The stem extends through a cap III which may be screw-threaded to the valve body, and an in-- termediate washer ll may be used.

The stem is'shown in enlarged form in Fig. 2, and usually the stem has a recessed formation v is more orless a conventional faucet structure;

at its lower end defined by a circumferential shoulder II. The ordinary. sealing washer is dea signed to be placed in this recess'and secured in position by a screw passing through the washer and threaded into the internally threaded bore l3.

The present-invention provides an antifriction bearing and washer arrangement designed to be placed upon this stem without change of the stem in any way. To this end, a screw is provided in the form shown in Fig. 2 having a tapered head l5 and a screw-threaded body IS.

The head tapers down to a reduced diameter where it has a circumferential enlargement ll.

A race member, which is the lower race, is formed of relatively thin sheet metal, this race member being shown at .20, andthe central portion is flared as at 2| so that, it fits on the tapered head of the screw. Aperipheral edge 22 isfashion'ed to extend inwardly so that a sealing washer 23 may be pressed into position and be held therein. Another race member 24 fashioned to more or less fit the antifriction balls 25 is designed to be received in the recess in the stem and has a central aperture arranged to be snapped over the shoulder Fl. To this end the central aperture may be bounded by a wall of sinuous formation or corrugated shape, thus providing teeth 26 for engaging on the under side of the shoulder l1. This sinuous'formation increases the flexibility of the inner portion of the 1191381 race.

In making the assembly the races may be located with the balls therebetween and then the screw may be forced into position with the shoulder l'l snapping past the teeth26, at which time the screw holdsthe parts assembled. The structure may be sold to the trade thus assembled, with the washer 23 in or out of position. The installation in the valve is made by turning the screw. home, at which time the shoulder I'I --abuts the stem. Then the washer 23 may be located. This locating of the washer must take place subsequently to the locating of the screw, since thewasher covers the screw head. The

- races 20 and 24 may be made of suitable metal,

for domestic use have different sized threads,

some of which vary, for example, from 24, 28 to 32 per inch. The screw is of the self-threading type, having, a tapered body formed with kerfs 28. A screw of this type fashioned with a 28-per inch thread may be used for valves with a 24 per inch or 32 per inch thread, and the screw will slightly distort the thread in the stem but will retain its position therein. The distortion is not such as to prevent the reinsertion of a proper screw into the recess. The above specifications are given as examples only.

In Fig. 3, the stem la. is as above described, while the screw has a tapered head I51; and threaded body I6a and an intermediate polygonal shaped part Fla. The lower race 20a does not have a peripheral flange but the washer 23a is vulcanized or permanently attached thereto. The upper race 24a has a central portion fitting over the squared part Ila and preferably the corners of the squared part Ila. are peened over as at to hold the screw, the races and the balls in assembly. The upper race has an outer peripheral projecting part or fiange 3|. In installing this assembly with the stem the screw is turned by turning forces applied to the upper race at the peripheral part 3|, until the intermediate part Ila is forced home against the stem.

In Fig. 4, the stem lb is the same as above described, but the upper and lower races are interlocked with each other, the lower race 20b having its central portion 2lb extending upwardly and into the upper race 24b where the edge may be fashioned over as at 32. Thus inthis form the two races hold themselves in assembly. The

' screw in this form has a tapered head l5b, a

ever, the, upper race 240 has its central portion fashioned downwardly asat 260 to look over the portion 210 of the lower'washer 200. Thus in this form the two races with the balls therebetween constitute an assembled unit.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 a screw is shown of the ordinary type for a screw-threaded connection with the valve stem, while in Figs. 1 and 2 a selfthreading screwis shown. It is to be understood, however, that a self-threading screw may be used with any one of the forms, and an ordinary or non-self-threading screw may be used with any One of the forms. It will be noted that the races are of thin metal and the balls are quite small so that the washer and antifriction bearing assembly require a minimum dimension measured longitudinally of the stem, so that the arrangement can be embodied in a faucet and stem without changing the structure thereof and still the faucet or valve provided with an adequate openlug when the valve is opened. As shown in Fig. 1

there is an adequate vertical movement of the,

stem 1 for the opening of the valve, or in other words for lifting the washer from the seat 4. In some cases the'gasket I I may be thickened to eleate the cap H] where it is necessary to increase are vertical movement of the stein. I claim: 1. In a valve having a passageway defined by a seat and having a control stem mounted on.

an enlargement spaced from the end of the head for abutment against the end of the stem, the second race member having its central portion fashioned into interlocking engagement with one of the other of said members for holding the race members and the balls in sub-assembly independently of the stem, and a sealing member carried by the said one race member for engaging ,end of the head for abutment against the end of the stem, the second race member having a central aperture smaller than the cross dimension of the enlargement and arranged to be snapped with spring actionover the same whereby the stem holds the race members and balls in assembly thereon, and a sealing member carried by the said one race member for engaging the seat.

3. In a valve having a passageway defined by a seat and having a control stem mounted on threads so that rotary movement causes the stem to move toward and away from the seat, two race members, a plurality of balls between the race members, a screw passing through the race members and threaded into the stem, said screw having a head for rotatably engaging one race member to hold the one race member in position, said screw having an enlargement spaced from the end of the head for abutment against the end of the stem, the second race member fitting around the said enlargement and non-rotatably associated therewith, a sealing member secured to the said one race member for engaging the seat and covering the head of the screw, the second race member having laterally extending portionsengageable for turning the said race member and screw for threading the screw into the stem.

4. In a valve having a passageway defined by a seat and having a control stem mounted on threads so that rotary movement causes the stem to move toward and away from the seat, two race members, a plurality of balls between the race members, a screw passing through the race members and threaded into the stem, said screw'having a head for rotatably engaging one race member to hold the one race member imposition, said screw having an enlargement spaced from the end of the head for abutment against the end of the stem, the second race member fitting around the said enlargement and non-rotatably associated therewith, a sealing member secured to the said one race member for engaging the seat and covering the head of the screw, the second race member having laterally extending portions engageable for turning the said race member and screw for threading the screw into the stem, some of the metal of the said enlargement of the stem being peened over so that the race members and balls are held in assembly by and with the screw.

5. In a valve having a passageway defined by a seat and having a control stem mounted on threads so that rotary movement causes the stem to move toward and away from the seat, two race members, a plurality of balls between the race members, a screw passing through the race members and threaded into the stem. said screw havmembers being fashioned to extend in a direction ing a head for rotatably engaging one race memaxially of the screw and into interlocking engageber to hold the race member on the stem and havment with the central portion oi! the other race ing a shoulder spaced from the end of the head member !or holding the race members and balls 5 or the screw for abutment against the end of in assembly. 5

the stem, the central portion of one of the race TERENCE G. HARE. 

